Alex “Snake Eyes” Cooney left his amateur career behind as he stepped in to the cage on Saturday night. He stepped out of the cage with a mark in the win column as he heads toward a bright future.

King of the Cage’s event at Menominee Casino last Saturday brought this Wisconsin fighter’s professional debut, and he walked away with the win. “I finished the fight in the first round, with a rear naked choke,” said Cooney. “I felt great all through the fight. I was able to not let my nerves or anything affect my performance.”

Cooney went up against Michigan fighter Daryl Thompson. “Daryl put up a great fight, and I wish him the best of luck in his future fights,” said Cooney. “As for my own future, I plan on taking things one fight at a time, and always trying to improve myself as a fighter.”

Training out of Unified Martial Arts in Fon du Lac, WI, Cooney is grateful for those who surround him. “I want to thank all my coaches and training partners, as well as Fight to Finish, for supporting me through this fight camp,” he said. “I have a huge amount of respect for all of the staff at Unified Martial Arts and I’m proud to be part of the team.”